


Can You Imagine?

by alittlebitoftheuniverse



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alex is also trash but he tries, Angst, Confrontations, Gen, Happiness for Theo Burr 2k17, I Don't Even Know, Neglect, aaron why are you such trash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-27 00:04:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9935747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alittlebitoftheuniverse/pseuds/alittlebitoftheuniverse
Summary: "I'm saying that your daughter doesn't feel like she can talk to you. Doesn't that tell you something?"He saw Aaron bristling, saw the walls going up. "She's reserved, that's all."Alex scoffed. "No, Aaron, she isn't. She's sad and she's afraid."





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [quantumoddity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/quantumoddity/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Unimaginable](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8240488) by [quantumoddity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/quantumoddity/pseuds/quantumoddity). 



Alex couldn't pinpoint an exact moment when he realized it. It was a problem that gradually increased without his noticing until it finally was standing plainly in front of him, building and building ever since he'd had that talk with Theo after she lost her mother.

He'd probably first noticed it the day he had to stay at work an hour later than usual. A meeting had run longer than it was supposed to, but it really wasn't his fault, what was he supposed to do when Jefferson was taunting him like that?

Theo was the first one to throw her arms around him when he walked through the door, almost as if she had been waiting in the hall.

"Well, did you miss me?" he joked, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

"Where were you?" she demanded, eyes wide. "You should've been home an hour ago!"

He chuckled. "I was at work, honey, just like every day. Jefferson needed telling off, that's all."

She bit her lip and hugged him again, only releasing him when his other kids came barreling in, yelling their welcome homes. As he picked up John, he caught sight of Eliza's expression, her dark eyes fixed on Theo. She had her worried face on, though Alex didn't dare ask her what was wrong in front of everyone. He'd ask later.

* * *

"Alex!" Theo cried gleefully as he walked into the kitchen where she and Philip were doing their homework. They both got up to hug him, and Theo continued chattering.

"Do you think you could help me study for my history test? I know it's not until Friday but it's never too early to get a head start, right? And then-"

"I'm sorry, Theo," he sighed. "I'd love to stay and help you, but I've got a business dinner tonight. I only really came home to see everyone for a few minutes, because I'll be out late tonight."

Her expression fell instantly, like she was forgetting to do something she always did to keep it in place.

"Oh," she said, her voice small. "You have to go?"

"I'm still here, Theo," Eliza reminded her. "I'll help you study if you like."

Theo nodded, returning her gaze to her books. "Okay."

Alex and Eliza exchanged glances over Theo's head, but she gestured for him to go get ready, so he did, stopping to kiss each of his kids on the way. Theo stood in the hall as he grabbed his coat off the hook, and he couldn't miss the desperate, almost panicked look in her eyes.

"Theo," he said gently. "Hon, are you sure you're okay?"

Her gaze wandered somewhere to the left of his eyes. "Can't you...Can't you stay here?"

Alex didn't know what was wrong with her, but that didn't matter right now. She needed him. So he hung his coat back up.

"I can fake a stomachache. If Madison calls, tell him I'm puking my guts up. Now, about that history test..."

He watched as her eyes lit up and she pulled him back to the kitchen, all apparently all right with the world again. But something was obviously wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

"Theo's not okay, is she?" he asked Eliza that night, after all the kids, even Philip and Theo, had been tucked into bed.

Eliza sighed heavily. "I don't think so. I know it hasn't been long at all since her mother passed away, but this is different. When a child loses one parent, I think it's natural for them to cling to the other. But the thing is...Theo's not attaching herself to Aaron."

"Yeah," he muttered. "Not that that would do her much good."

She grimaced. "Talk to him."

"Right," he scoffed. "Because Aaron Burr listens to me so well."

Eliza shook her head. "You're very persuasive. You always bring people around. And if it doesn't work, then I'll talk to him myself."

Alex chuckled, kissing her cheek. "I'll talk to him tomorrow. Make him see sense. For Theo. She deserves that."

* * *

Alex didn't make a habit of visiting Burr's office. It was easier if he didn't, it caused less trouble. But this was important. So he poked his head around the door.

"Hey Burr, could I talk to you for a minute?"

It took Aaron a few moments to register his voice, but then he looked up at him from his desk. "What?"

He looked like hell, frankly, his eyes hollow and tired, the bags underneath them an ugly bluish-purple. But Alex decided to stick to the task at hand.

"Can I talk to you?" he repeated, then added, "It's about Theo."

That got Aaron's attention, and he gestured to one of the empty chairs in his office, which Alex dropped into.

"Now, Hamilton," he said, with a touch of his old self. "What is it?"

"You can call me Alex, you know," he offered, but Burr shook his head, so he continued, repeating what Eliza had told him. "It's normal, when a child loses a parent, for them to become attached to the other one."

"Theo doesn't do that," Burr frowned.

Alex sighed. "I know, Aaron. And that's the problem."

"...What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that your daughter doesn't feel like she can talk to you. Doesn't that tell you something?"

He saw Aaron bristling, saw the walls going up. "She's reserved, that's all."

Alex scoffed. "No, Aaron, she isn't. She's sad and she's afraid."

"She's griev-" Aaron tried, but Alex cut across him.

"Is that why she almost had a meltdown when I tried to leave for a dinner last night?"

That, at least, seemed to shock Burr.

"...She what?"

"She didn't want me to leave," Alex nodded. "And two days ago, Eliza said she was borderline panicking when I was late getting home from work."

Aaron's eyes darkened. "She didn't even say goodnight to me last night."

Alex nodded. "She's scared. Scared that you won't talk to her, the way she needs."

Burr tightened his jaw. "And instead she's been turning...to you."

Alex nodded again and a muscle started jumping in Aaron's jaw.

"Could you please get out of my office,  _Alex?"_ he all but spat.

Alex stood, but slowly. "Aaron, I'm trying to help."

"You're helping? By telling me how I'm losing my daughter now too as well as my wife, how my daughter doesn't love me, how she sees you as more of a father than she does me..."

For a moment, Alex was certain that Burr was about to take a swing at him, but suddenly, it was as if all the fight drained out of him, leaving him cold and trembling, looking as though he was about to cry.

"Theo loves you," Alex said softly. "Of course she loves you."

He saw Aaron's eyes grow wet and looked away hastily. "She's coming home with Philip after school. You're welcome to stop by, if you want to talk to her."

Aaron nodded harshly. "I will."

Alex grimaced, recognizing his cue to leave. "Then I'll see you later."

And he strode out of the office.

**Author's Note:**

> This a gift for the ever-lovely quantumoddity, who promised me that this was good enough to post, even though I didn't think so.  
> I'm goofing around on tumblr as @sassy-laffy, come hang out!


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